Angler killed in beach attack

SUSPECTED robbers killed an angler on Strandfontein beach, a popular fishing and recreation spot, early yesterday.

His friend was lucky to escape.

The names of the men were being withheld last night until the family of the slain man had been told.

“It appears that the two anglers had gone early-morning fishing at Strandfontein beach when they were attacked by a number of men,” said Clint Abraham, deputy station commander of the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) at Strandfontein.

“One of the fishermen managed to flee to our sea rescue base to get help after his fellow angler had been shot.

“During the very early hours of Sunday a few of our volunteer sea rescue duty crew had come down to our sea rescue station because of an early morning power outage, and the crew had to turn on the generator. This is normal procedure when there is a power outage, to keep essential equipment on charge.

“Since most of the duty crew were now at our station they began to prepare for normal Sunday routine exercises and routine base maintenance.

“At 5.05am they were disturbed by a man, an angler, frantically seeking help and reporting that his friend and fellow angler, a man believed to be in his early 40s, had been shot on Strandfontein Beach by apparent robbers. Our duty crew raised the alarm, calling both the Western Cape government Emergency Medical Services and the SA Police Services.

“They then responded along the beach in our sea rescue vehicle, about 400 metres from our sea rescue station, where we found the man lying on the beach unconscious, in a critical condition, with a gunshot wound to the chest.”

The man was alive.

Sea rescue medics started medical treatment before he was taken to the NSRI Strandfontein sea rescue station secured to a trauma board.

There they were met by police and EMS paramedics, who battled for more than an hour to save the angler’s life.

Despite their efforts, the man died.

“Police cordoned off the area. They have opened a murder docket and are investigating,” Abrahams said.